GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The top-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins will begin their quest for a third Calder Cup championship by facing the fourth-seeded Manitoba Moose in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals. The Moose defeated the fifth-seeded Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 in their best-of-three first-round series.

The Griffins will travel to the Canada Life Centre for Games 1 and 2 against the Moose on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Grand Rapids will then return to Van Andel Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday, May 6 and, if necessary, Game 4 on Friday, May 8 and Game 5 on Saturday, May 9.

The complete schedule is as follows:

* If necessary
All times Eastern and subject to change
All games on WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM and AHLTV on FloHockey

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 at Van Andel Arena are on sale now and can be purchased at The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com/tickets, or via the Griffins app for iPhone or Android.

Fans who want to experience every Griffins game at Van Andel Arena during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs can purchase a Griffins Playoff SuperPass. Enjoy the same great seat at significant savings plus the convenience of the “pay-as-we-play” method of payment. Click here to reserve your Griffins Playoff SuperPass or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.

Groups of 10 or more can receive special pricing to playoff games and receive an unforgettable experience. To book a group outing during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, click here or call (616) 774.4585 ext. 4. Playoff suites and other premium areas are also available.

Continuing a postseason tradition, the Griffins are extending their popular Friday promotion and will offer $2 beers and $2 hot dogs for all home playoff games from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. In addition, fans will receive Griffins rally towels, compliments of J&H Family Stores. All Griffins postseason games can be heard on WOOD 106.7 FM & 1300 AM.

Grand Rapids finished the regular season series against Manitoba with a 6-1-1-0 record, including 3-0-1-0 at Van Andel Arena and 3-1-0-0 at the Canada Life Centre. After beginning the season series with a four-game win streak, the Griffins dropped two straight against the Moose before finishing with wins in the final two meetings. The Griffins scored four or more goals in five of the eight contests and outscored the Moose 32-17. Only three of the eight meetings were decided by one goal. Grand Rapids averaged 4.25 goals per game at Manitoba and 3.75 goals against the Moose at Van Andel Arena. In the final two meetings against the Moose from April 3-4, the Griffins outscored Manitoba 13-5, securing wins of 6-3 and 7-2 at the Canada Life Centre. 

The Moose power play, which ranked last in the AHL during the regular season (11.0%), went 2-for-16 (12.5%) against the Griffins. Manitoba’s penalty kill finished tied for 11th (82.4%) in the AHL and went 15-for-19 against the Griffins (78.9%). Manitoba ranked 30th in the AHL with 2.57 goals per game and ninth with 3.00 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids placed second in goals per game with 3.54 and first in goals allowed per contest with 2.21. The Moose placed fifth in the AHL with 30.3 shots per game. 

John Leonard led Grand Rapids against Manitoba with 11 points (7-4—11) and seven goals in six games, while Phillip Di Giuseppe paced the Moose against the Griffins with five points (3-2—5) and three goals in eight appearances. Mason Shaw ranked first against Grand Rapids with three assists. Leonard, Amadeus Lombardi, Erik Gustafsson and William Wallinder all tied for the team lead in assists against the Moose with four. Leading each team in net were Sebastian Cossa, who went 4-0-1 with one shutout, a 1.79 GAA and a .938 SV% in five games, and Manitoba’s Thomas Milic, who showed a 1-3-0 mark with a 3.50 GAA and a .872 SV% in five contests. Cossa and Milic comprised the Central Division’s goaltenders at the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic.

Grand Rapids and Manitoba have met four times in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with the Moose claiming three of the four series victories. The Moose have defeated Grand Rapids in the three most recent playoff meetings in 2018 (DSF, 3-2), 2009 (DF, 4-0) and 2007 (DSF, 4-3). The Griffins’ lone playoff series win against Manitoba came in the 2006 division finals, winning 4-3. The Griffins are 5-7 at home and 4-7 on the road against Manitoba in the postseason. This is Grand Rapids’ 20th playoff berth in 30 seasons/28 postseasons (2020 and 2021 were canceled due to COVID-19), and it possesses a 103-89 ledger and 21-17 series record, which includes games in the IHL’s Turner Cup Playoffs from 1996-01. The Griffins have a 7-7 mark in a best-of-five series. This will be Manitoba’s 14th Calder Cup Playoff appearance in 21 seasons, as it returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2024. The Moose are 66-67 in postseason games and have a 13-13 series record. This is Manitoba’s first division semifinals appearance since 2023.

Other storylines of the series include:

• Third-year head coach Dan Watson makes his third straight Calder Cup Playoffs appearance. He is the third head coach in franchise history to reach the postseason in each of his first three full years as head coach, joining Jeff Blashill (2012-15) and Todd Nelson (2015-18). Watson, who has never missed the postseason as a pro head coach, has a 5-7 playoff record in the previous two seasons with Grand Rapids, which includes a trip to the 2024 division finals. With the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, Watson went 51-34 (.600) over five postseasons, reaching the Kelly Cup Finals twice (2019 and 2022) and leading Toledo to four Western Conference Finals berths (2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023);
• The Griffins and Moose share a couple connections on championship-winning teams. Eddie Genborg and Alfons Freij won a gold medal with Team Sweden at this year’s World Junior Championship. In 2023, assistant coach Steph Julien and Thomas Milic won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championship. In addition, former Griffin Drew MacIntyre (2004-06) is Manitoba’s goaltending coach. MacIntyre was a member of the Griffins’ 2005-06 squad that won the AHL’s regular-season championship, and he remains Grand Rapids’ career playoff leader in GAA (1.62) and save percentage (.940);
• The Griffins and Moose will renew a rivalry that dates back to their IHL days in 1996-97. Both franchises joined the AHL in the same season in 2001-02. Since the 1996-97 IHL season, the teams have met a combined 147 times in the regular season, with the Griffins possessing an 86-48-1-2-10 record (.633). The Moose are the fifth-most frequent opponent of the Griffins;
• Manitoba’s roster consists of three former first-round draft picks from recent years. Center Brayden Yager (14th in 2023, PITT) is the highest draft pick on the roster, followed by right wing Colby Barlow (18th in 2023 WPG) and forward Brad Lambert (30th in 2022 WPG);
• Assistant coach Brian Lashoff (2013 and 2017 Grand Rapids) is the lone Griffin to hoist the Calder Cup, while John Leonard reached last year’s Calder Cup Finals with the Charlotte Checkers. Manitoba’s Phillip Di Giuseppe won last year’s Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks and assistant coach Bob Nardella won the cup as an assistant with the Chicago Wolves in 2021-22. 

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins